Chapter 24

As the sun rose in the east, its rays bathed the ancient city of Beijing in a peaceful and serene glow. A blue sedan chair, carried by four bearers, skillfully navigated through the bustling streets and alleys of the capital, finally coming to a stop in front of a building that stood out from its surroundings. The sedan chair tilted forward, the curtain was lifted from the side, and a Qing official in formal attire stepped out. He was only in his early thirties but already wore a robe with eight dragons and five claws, a rank that few in the entire Qing bureaucracy had achieved at such a young age.

Living under the emperor's nose, the people of Beijing had encountered many high-ranking officials. When they saw a young sixth-rank scholar-official step out of the sedan chair, they were only slightly surprised before resuming their daily activities. The young official, clearly accustomed to the public's reaction, straightened his slightly wrinkled cloud-shoulder and walked directly toward the distinctive building.

This middle-aged official was none other than Yang Shixiang, known as the brains of the Beiyang clique.

After returning home yesterday, the steward suddenly handed him an invitation from the German ambassador, Schneider, inviting him to visit his residence the next day to reminisce about old times. After some analysis, he had already guessed Schneider's intentions; since he also needed to discuss the purchase of warships with the German government, he decided to use this as an excuse, saving him the trouble of writing a formal visitation letter.

Stepping through the gate and into the main hall, he saw an elderly man in a well-tailored suit sitting on the main seat, smiling warmly at him. With gray hair, blue eyes, a prominent nose, and a goatee, the man exuded a sense of calm and benevolence.

"Mr. Schneider, we meet again," Yang Shixiang greeted with a slight bow and a faint smile.

Schneider gestured for Yang to take a seat and said, "To be honest, I invited you here today to discuss the issue of our battleship 'Brandenburg' currently moored in Weihaiwei. Our government hopes that your country will purchase this excellent battleship to win the war and further strengthen the friendship between our two nations."

Although Yang Shixiang had already guessed Schneider's intentions and knew he would be discussing the same matter, Schneider's direct and business-like approach still made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. However, Yang, known as the brains of the Beiyang clique, was not an ordinary person. After a moment, he adjusted his state. Since Li Hongzhang had instructed him to try to lower the price, Yang, as a shrewd businessman, understood the principle of feigning disinterest to get a better deal. He put on a surprised and hesitant look and said, "Mr. Schneider, I am very sorry, but my government has no intention of purchasing your country's battleship." He then looked at Schneider with difficulty and took a sip of tea from the cup on the table.

Schneider looked at the middle-aged man suspiciously and said, "How is that possible? Li Hongzhang decided just yesterday to buy a German battleship. How could he change his mind? Does he not want the 2 million taels of silver from Weng Wengang?"

"Cough... cough..." Hearing Schneider reveal his trump card, even the composed Yang Shixiang could not help but choke on his tea. Since the other party had already said so much, pretending to be ignorant would be meaningless. He laughed dryly and said, "I was just joking with you, Mr. Schneider. Please don't take it to heart. Our Qing Empire does indeed have the intention to purchase this ironclad battleship. What is your price?"

Schneider said seriously, "Dear Yang, that joke was not funny at all. I think we should avoid such jokes. As for the price... After considering the traditional friendship between the German Empire and the Qing Empire, the price for the Brandenburg is 10 million taels of silver."

"10 million taels!" Although Yang Shixiang had been prepared, he was still shocked by Schneider's quote. The entire Qing Empire's annual fiscal revenue was only 70 million taels, and even the Empress Dowager Cixi's construction of the Three Seas project cost less than this. He shook his head and said, "This price is far beyond what we can afford. Even if the purchasing power of silver has depreciated this year, it is not that low! I estimate that the cost of this ship is only about 3 million taels of silver. Your country is asking 10 million taels, which is too much, isn't it?"

"Not at all, not at all, Mr. Yang, you are mistaken!" Schneider shook his finger and defended in his heavily accented Beijing dialect, "Firstly, the Brandenburg is equipped with a lot of advanced technology, and its cost, converted into your country's silver, is far more than 3 million taels. Secondly, the Brandenburg sailed from the German Empire to the Far East, consuming a large amount of high-quality coal and personnel expenses, which is a huge cost. Thirdly, your country is already at war with Japan, and the German Empire is under great international pressure and war risks by selling the ship to your country. Lastly, it took German sailors seven months to achieve perfect integration with the ship and bring out its best combat capabilities. In this situation, if your country does not hire all the German sailors on the Brandenburg, can you send your own people to take over the ship and spend another seven months training?"

After speaking so much, Schneider felt his mouth was dry. He took a sip of the cold tea on the table and felt better. He added, "So, 10 million taels of silver is not expensive at all!"

Although he knew the old man was telling the truth, Yang Shixiang's resistance did not diminish. He spread his hands and said, "The situation of the Beiyang in recent years is no secret to you, Mr. Schneider. Now that the war has started, everything needs money—food, ammunition, and military salaries. The Beiyang is so poor that we only have one pair of pants left. Where can we find such a huge sum of money?"

Schneider frowned and said, "Then, according to Mr. Yang, what price would be appropriate for our offer?"

Yang Shixiang coughed and said somewhat hesitantly, "Our country believes that 3 million taels is the highest price. If it is higher, we cannot afford it."

Schneider stared at him, his blue eyes flashing. Yang Shixiang felt a bit intimidated by his gaze and swallowed hard. However, having been in the bureaucracy for nearly 10 years and dealing with all kinds of people, his face was already thicker than a city wall. He said calmly, "Dear Mr. Schneider, don't look at me like that. We are doing business here. The price is what is said, and the money is what is given. Let's talk slowly."

"9.5 million taels, no lower," Schneider said through gritted teeth.

"3.2 million taels, the war has started, and the Beiyang Army is also a huge money consumer!" Yang Shixiang held his ground.

"3.2 million taels is absolutely unacceptable! This price doesn't even cover the original cost of building the ship, let alone anything else!" Schneider slapped the table in anger, his tone full of displeasure and resentment. "Mr. Yang, is this how you treat a friendly country that brings warmth in the cold winter? At this time, even if you offer 3.2 million taels for a 5,000-ton cruiser, no country would be willing to sell it to you, let alone a 10,000-ton battleship? Don't forget, more than 700 German sailors will also fight alongside you! 9.5 million taels, that's the price."

"3.3 million taels," Yang Shixiang closed his eyes in pain.

"9.4 million taels," Schneider glared.

After an hour of intense negotiation, Yang Shixiang reluctantly raised his offer to 3.5 million taels. No matter how Schneider tried to persuade him, Yang refused to increase the price any further. Seeing the huge gap of 3.5 million taels, Schneider realized it was unrealistic to expect the Qing official to come up with more than 7 million taels in cash. He rubbed his head in pain and had to lower the standard according to Berlin's instructions: "Alright, Mr. Yang, you win. The battleship Brandenburg will be yours for 4 million taels, including the crew."

"Hmm?" Yang Shixiang was taken aback. The stubborn old man had only lowered the price by 100,000 taels at a time, but now he suddenly compromised so much. According to the current exchange rate of 1:3.3 between silver and marks, 4 million taels was not even enough to cover the cost of the ship! Although he was puzzled, he did not show it and said, "Ambassador, 3.5 million taels is our bottom line. We really can't afford more."

Schneider glared at him and said angrily, "However, your government must sign a trade agreement with us to facilitate the sale of our goods and remove the restrictions on German investments in China. This is a special condition offered by our government after considering your country's financial situation!"

"Indeed, this old man wouldn't sell at such a low price without a reason. He must have his eyes on trade and investment!" Yang Shixiang cursed the Germans' opportunistic behavior in his heart and began to calculate rapidly. To be fair, according to the current exchange rate of 1:3.3, 4 million taels was not enough to cover the cost of the ironclad battleship. If he were a German, he wouldn't make such a loss. However, 4 million taels was almost the bottom line for the Beiyang. Any more would affect the supply of funds to the front-line army. Signing a trade agreement could solve the immediate crisis, but the long-term consequences were significant!

However, in the face of the immediate crisis, there was no time to worry about future problems.

Schneider glanced at the clock in the living room and sat calmly in his seat. He picked up the teacup, swept the floating tea leaves with the lid, and took a sip. Turning his head, he saw the Qing official still frowning and silent, and he coughed to break the long silence: "What do you think, Mr. Yang?"

Yang Shixiang said slowly, "Ambassador, your proposal is reasonable. We can continue to negotiate the reduction in tariffs. However, 4 million taels is still beyond our bottom line. We can only afford 3.5 million taels for the ship. We really can't find more money."

Seeing Schneider's face gradually darken, Yang Shixiang quickly added, "We have made significant progress today. The price difference has been reduced from 7 million taels to 500,000 taels, hasn't it? Let's stop here for now. I need to report the results of the negotiation to Li Hongzhang and let him decide."

Schneider grunted and said, "Please convey to Li Hongzhang that this is our bottom line. We will not sell for less! Your Beiyang Navy is no match for Japan's naval power now. Without the Brandenburg, what will your navy use to fight against the Japanese Navy?"

Yang Shixiang stood up and bowed to Schneider, saying, "Ambassador, you are right. Your country's timely assistance is greatly appreciated. Please be patient, and our country will certainly give you a satisfactory response."

Schneider nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and ignored him. Yang Shixiang, who wanted to say a few more polite words, saw that the other party was not interested and simply said, "Farewell."

---

Recently, Li Hongzhang's days have been full of ups and downs and intense drama.

As early as August 2, the day after Emperor Guangxu formally declared war on Japan, due to the failure of Ding Ruchang to achieve any results with the Beiyang Fleet's main force, the Qing reformists seized this opportunity to attack Ding Ruchang, accusing him of "hesitation and观望, intending to wait and see, and allowing the enemy to play with the navy." They demanded that the court immediately dismiss Ding Ruchang from his position as naval commander. Some even accused Li Hongzhang of being "old and senile, with a bad temper" and demanded that he step down, allowing a more virtuous person to take his place.

Li Hongzhang, with his high prestige and indispensable role in foreign affairs, and especially his favor with Empress Dowager Cixi, could largely ignore the attacks from the reformists. However, Ding Ruchang lacked these advantages and became the first target of the officials who used the anti-Japanese war as a pretext to weaken the Huai clique. What was supposed to be a war against foreign aggression became a stage for internal power struggles.

In this context, Li Hongzhang had to put the ship purchase on hold and focus on dealing with the various attacks and accusations in the court. A few days later, on August 10, the Japanese Combined Fleet attacked the Beiyang Navy's base in Weihaiwei. Due to the strict defense and concerns about significant losses, the Japanese fleet retreated after a brief engagement. Although neither side suffered significant damage, the Qing court was shocked and ordered the navy to return to protect the capital. At this point, Li Hongzhang finally had the opportunity to emphasize the importance of the navy and urged the Ministry of Revenue to quickly allocate funds to purchase the German 10,000-ton ironclad battleship moored in Weihaiwei: "Without this ship, the navy will decline, and the capital will be unstable. Even if the Ministry of Revenue has millions of taels in reserve, what use is it?"

The Japanese Navy's patrol off Weihaiwei terrified the scholars and officials who were only good at talking and writing moral articles. Although they were deeply dissatisfied with Li Hongzhang's monopoly on power, they were very concerned about their own safety. This concern allowed them to reconcile with Li Hongzhang's leadership and cultural differences. In the end, Weng Tonghe, despite his frustration with the reformists' cowardice and tendency to become timid at critical moments, had to open the Ministry of Revenue's coffers.

On August 14, the Qing court and Germany formally signed the transaction agreement. The Qing court purchased the German battleship "Brandenburg" for 4 million taels of silver and hired the entire crew at market rates. As compensation for the low price, the Qing court signed a trade treaty favorable to German goods and implemented a series of measures to encourage German investments in China. The news shocked the world.

The British government, while not issuing a formal condemnation, was displeased. With the rapid rise of the German Empire, German goods had already challenged Britain's dominant position in world trade, causing Britain to feel its interests were threatened. Now, the Germans were extending their market reach to the Qing Empire in the Far East! Fortunately, the Qing customs were still under British control, and the Qing court had no say in it. If the import tariffs on German goods were reduced, it would be a disaster for British goods.

The most excited were the Beiyang Fleet's officers and sailors, from Ding Ruchang down. When Li Hongzhang's order reached the Beiyang Navy, almost all the ship captains could not believe that the court was investing a huge sum in the navy and that the German ironclad battleship had changed flags. It was only when the Brandenburg's mast raised the yellow dragon flag and Captain Claude in blue uniform reported to the naval office on Liugong Island that they realized the advanced warship they had longed for had finally joined the Beiyang Navy!

Since the establishment of the Beiyang Navy in 1887, seven years had passed, and except for the self-built "Pingyuan," no new warships had been added to the flagship fleet. The once glorious and dominant Beiyang Navy in the Far East had gradually lost its luster. Facing the rapidly expanding Japanese Navy, which had long considered the Beiyang Navy as its primary adversary, the high-ranking officers of the Beiyang Navy had no confidence in the outcome. The addition of this new battleship, with a displacement much larger than the "Dingyuan" and "Zhenyuan," gave the entire navy a much-needed boost. Now, if the Beiyang Navy encountered the Japanese Navy's main force, they could engage in a direct battle without any fear.

When Japan learned that Germany had sold the ship to the Qing court, it surprisingly remained silent. However, this silence was understandable. Without the backing of a strong navy, any strong diplomatic protests would be weak and ineffective. The German Navy, though not as powerful as the traditional naval powers like Britain, France, and Russia, was still far beyond Japan's capabilities. Even without the "Brandenburg," Germany still had three other 10,000-ton battleships and 13 ironclads. A single German squadron in the Far East would be enough to crush the Japanese Navy multiple times over. Japan had bet its entire fate on this invasion, and at this critical moment, it dared not provoke the German Empire, which had defeated Austria and France.

Moreover, the Japanese believed that although the "Brandenburg" was powerful, it was not invincible. As early as 1888, Japan had ordered three "Matsushima"-class protected cruisers from France, designed to counter the "Dingyuan" and "Zhenyuan." To penetrate the 14-inch (356 mm) waterline armor of the "Dingyuan," the French designer Whitehead equipped these cruisers with a 320 mm Canet gun, which outperformed the 305 mm Krupp guns on the "Dingyuan." These three 320 mm Canet guns could not only penetrate the 14-inch armor of the "Dingyuan" but also the 15.8-inch (400 mm) armor of the "Brandenburg."

However, the Japanese did not realize that the 320 mm Canet gun, while powerful, was too large for a 4,200-ton ship. The "Matsushima"-class cruisers had poor stability, and the main gun's movement could cause the ship to tilt. In rough seas, the main gun could not be moved, risking the ship's capsizing. To lower the center of gravity, the main gun had to be installed lower, which reduced the ship's seaworthiness and caused severe bow waves. During the historical Battle of the Yalu River, the 320 mm guns, which were supposed to fire once every 10 minutes, took an hour to fire once and were completely inaccurate, making their design a complete failure. The 120 mm Armstrong quick-firing guns on the sides were the ones that actually played a significant role in the battle.

This chapter has 6,200 words. I originally planned to split it, but that would have damaged its continuity. Please show your support by giving it a free follow and recommendation.